Archives for January 2019

Human Resources has not always been the bright and shining spot in the organization (also can happen today). In the past, it was the administrative unit, that was not contributing to any strategic decisions. It was fulfilling orders, and protecting the business against any employment law vulnerabilities.

Even today, many people in organizations do not like how their Human Resources Departments (HR) operate. Some argue that HR is at best a necessary evil—at worst a bureaucratic force that routinely enforces additional detailed rules. It resists creativity and impedes needed changes.

Employees complain about many HR policies and practices. They can still find many of them rigid and being old fashioned. The most common criticisms include:

However, do you know what Dis the story of Human Resources? Do you know how Human Resources evolved from the service organization into a modern business partnering department?

What was the role of Human Resources in the past?

The HR Department was always known as the place where you can find all the funniest and rigid policies and practices. Employees there usually had no sense of humor. They were focused on the critical “stuff.” They were always busy, reactive and being disconnected from the rest of the business. It was not a home of innovative ideas.

Human Resources was:

highly formal and focused on the administrative processes and perfectionism;

supported the line management in using employees as the resource;

almost missing any strategic and value adding processes and procedures;

valuing formal approaches, administrative perfection and it was not driven by strategic goals and objectives;

never been a core member of the key project or innovative initiative.

The HR team was not an attractive place to be employed. Most bright job candidates never accepted a job in Human Resources, because the career in Human Resources was not attractive enough.

The leadership team never thought about Human Resources as a source of the competitive advantage. They usually saw HR Managers as providers of useful services, but they were not adding any extra. They just did the job. No issues meant that the department runs perfectly and the organization cannot gain any extra benefits.

Human Resources was not changing corporate culture. Nor it was not cultivating corporate values. The HR Managers were happy that they just provide excellent quality services to others. Having all papers in the perfect order was a sign of the efficient business unit. It was the aim of most HR Managers.

Most leaders knew that the HR department will keep the status quo. HR employees will never challenge, and they will provide services to meet the order.

Current Role of Human Resources in Organizations

Most leaders go to the Human Resources Department if they want to destroy the Status Quo. Most HR leaders lead important change management initiatives. They cultivate corporate culture, and they grow corporate values. They act on managers that do not follow and live the most important competencies of the company. They understand that employees are the only source of the competitive advantage.

Human Resources innovates and brings the agile project management into the company. It demonstrates that the company can be the winner. It hires best talents and helps managers to retain critical resources in the firm.

Also, the HR Department changes its policies and procedures to improve the overall employee experience. It is the umbrella for all HR activities, and it aims to provide the excellent experience in the organization, from the beginning till the end.

Wow, another week is over. Here is another collection of the best HR articles I have found during the last seven days. It is my fourth article. It means that the next one will be a little anniversary. Also, it will be published in February (I kept my new year resolution to last).

This time, the key topics are:

Show Passion;

Talent Acquisition;

Social Media.

Happy Reading!

These 4 Words in Your Next Interview Will Help You Land the Job

Are you looking for a new job? Do you know what you should say that the recruiter stops looking for other candidates?

You should say just 4 words:

“I love my work.”

Yeah, you should not talk that you are interested in advancing your career. You should not talk about a new opportunity and a new challenge. You should just say that you really love your job.

When candidates articulate that they love the work they do, it signals that they’re motivated intrinsically, by an inner drive to contribute and create.

It indicates that you are not motivated by the compensation package or any other perks you receive. You are internally driven by meaning. It tends to last.

5 Points the Boardroom Wants to See from the Talent Acquisition Function

Human Resources has its seat in the board room. However, it still needs to find ways how to promote most appealing HR topics, so they also become hot topics of the leadership team. They do not want Human Resources to become a hot topic they need to solve urgently. They look for the assurance that HR Managers keep everything under control.

Human Resources usually forgets to implement a strict Governance Policy. It merely says, who can make a decision and how the decision should be documented. It also splits Roles and Responsibilities across different people in an organization. When speaking about hiring new employees, we usually talk about a lot of money spent. A great Governance Framework helps.

Most HR Managers are not great in managing processes. We do not like to design them because we deal with people. They do not follow process maps, they just come with issues, challenges, and great proposals. They do not read the process before they apply. They only come. However, high volume hiring must be well organized. You have to keep track of all job openings, identify issues and manage everyone involved in the procedure. Process Excellence is a must, and make sure that the leadership team knows about it.

Forecasting is a critical success factor. Nobody is interested in the past. Everyone wants to understand what will happen in the following quarter. Should they worry about it? Or should they be calm because nothing challenging will happen?

Why Social Media Has Failed Recruiting

Social Media Hype is over; they look more like fallen stars at the moment. The biggest platforms enjoyed several data privacy scandals, and they have consistent issues with violence and fake news promotion. They had the terrible year 2018.

In 2019, those platforms will sharply focus on data protection and stopping fake and the hate news. Facebook and Twitter need to make sure that they protect customers and their privacy. They will have to fight the trust of customers back (if possible). Maybe, they will not regain the confidence of the audience again, and they will disappear like MySpace and many others.

You find more about the latest development here and here. By the way, it also raises a considerable data privacy challenge for Human Resources. Employees start to ask how we take care of their personal data. Who has access to data? Who makes sure that data are secure and accessible just to those ones granted?

However, what is the status of social media recruiting?

There was always a small issue – they are not a hiring tool, and they have never intended to be a one. Social Media platforms are about the brand. The stronger the brand you have, the more you are loved and followed. It is a simple law of social media. This simple law is valid also for social media hiring; no flood of CV happens if nobody follows you.

Together with social media, Employer Brand was re-born. Again, the stronger the voice on the job market, the more job resumes the business receives. Facebook and Twitter are not tools for hiring new employees; they just amplify sound and bold messages.

Rethinking social recruiting begins with rethinking the basics. It is about building a strong employer brand and high social awareness. It means that you design and implement a solid content strategy. You define a clear vision what topics the business will cover. You just execute the plan, and people will start following you. If you are lucky, they will share your posts with friends to amplify your impact. When changing the job, people will actively look for openings at businesses they know.

This is how social hiring works today. You build a strong presence in online media, and candidates look for you.

Hooray, this is the third edition of my choice of most appealing HR articles published last week. Sure, they are appealing to me, but they usually help me to realize that there are specific components I should think of at work.

As people are returning from their winter vacations, the number of published articles starts to grow steadily. It is great because I have so many pieces to choose from.

This week is about turnover (yup, again), dramatic shifts in talent management, sustainable recruitment costs, and corporate culture. I see them also as priorities for 2019. Also, these are the topics that drive the competitive advantage of Human Resources.

Best HR Management Articles 2019/03

Being unique to employees and candidates, that is what matters in 2019. They help to distinguish our institution from the rest on the market. They help us win the best talents.

So, happy reading! The next selection will come on Saturday.

Do Managers Influence Employee Turnover?

Employee turnover damages and undermines the competitiveness of the business, and it is also highly costly. Surprisingly, most firms do not have a precise calculation of turnover costs. If they would acknowledge the real costs of turnover, they put turnover on a monthly Board Agenda immediately.

Our challenge is that we usually do not understand why employees leave the company. We ask them, or they fill in an online questionnaire, and they typically express two reasons to go. First, they received a better job offer. Second, they leave because of their manager.

There is a problem with the first reason. When you look for the new job actively, you always find a better offer. Always, there is a company that offers you a better compensation package. This firm calculates in all the investments, your skills, and advanced competencies. It does not have to repeat the investment. It can also check your track record. It can take the risk of offering a better pay package.

The second reason to leave is more tricky. Managers have a high impact on teams. Their proactivity or inactivity drives the most important decisions of employees. An employee is always voting in mind if the risk should be taken or not. In some circumstances, the employee determines that the potential career advancement gain is higher than the risk of failure.

The article summarized the results of the study when the researchers went through two managerial influence tactics. They studied both “downward influence” and “inspirational appeal.” Most managers tend to use just one approach, and researchers were observing, which one influence employee turnover more. It is interesting reading, and maybe you will find out you should upgrade skills of your line managers.

The value of Talent Ecosystem

Talent Management is a value-added HR process because it is an essential component in a much broader succession planning procedure. Most HR Organizations consider talent management and acquisition as a strategic one.

In Human Resources, we believe and trust that it protects our best talents against competitors. The well-crafted process continually identifies best high potential employees in the workforce, and it offers a wide variety of developmental activities. However, does this approach still work?

The war for talent has been an HR hot topic for many years. Honestly, most businesses still lose positions in this war. They invest huge money into the development of employees. On the other hand, they do not win a higher employee engagement and lower turnover rates. Employees still leave to find a better place to work. There is something wrong in the matrix.

Human Resources needs to take a holistic approach. By connecting all relevant HR processes, it can design a wholly new system. It needs to bring a new way of thinking and hiring into the organization.

To bring a new recruitment strategy is not sufficient; it needs to be replaced by the broader and well-interconnected umbrella. The HR team has to design, approve and implement a new talent management strategy.

We enjoy the most competitive marketplace in modern Western history, and we have to learn how to act on the employee market, not the employer one.

Newcomers to the market look for different values and motivators. They do not look for life-long employment; they look for part-time contracts and project-based jobs.

They expect full flexibility from employers. However, organizations are not flexible and agile enough, so far.

How to Recruit Top Talent on Budget

A creative recruitment strategy is the best way how the small or start-up organization can compete with the large multinational businesses in the current job market. Small companies and start-ups usually struggle to meet staffing needs. They still miss an appealing brand name, and a tight budget still limits their employer brand investments. Plus, they also carry higher employment risks than the large and mature businesses.

When it comes to recruitment, we still think the old fashioned way. We consider just traditional full-time employment. Today, we cannot rigidly hire only full-time staff. Do you know that there is an attractive new pool of talents? There is an attractive market niche of freelance employees.

A freelance employee does not require an expensive commitment from the company. They do not need much; they usually ask just a small space and timely payment of invoices.

They understand there are certain risks that both parties carry. They can leave sooner than expected; the company can finish the contract sooner than expected.

Also, freelancers are usually a part of the strong informal network. They can recommend anyone from the community when they cannot accept another assignment. They can spread your good brand name if the first one is satisfied.

Also, you can save much time by building a great career section on the company website that covers all the basic and advanced potential questions of job candidates and applicants. You can publish your calendar, and you can leave candidates to schedule job interview meetings.

The five most significant HR learnings from 2018

We are still just a few weeks into a new year. We can consider that we are only at the beginning of new uncovered and hidden challenges. Also, it means we can always reflect on the most important learnings from 2018.

Everyone can choose a different set of personal HR learnings, but I like the following list.

Diversity and fair pay still matter. We talk about diverse teams, fairness and equal opportunities for years, and we have not achieved the results yet. In Great Britain, most companies pay men better than women. We know that because the government made it a regulatory requirement to analyze earning on a yearly basis. So, it is a fact.

It is not just a difference in base pay, which makes it even worse. Organizations usually pay higher bonuses to men. You can argue about higher base pay, but you cannot explain higher bonuses so easy.

Another important reflection is about the flexible working arrangements. They are not considered as a nice extra by employees. They demand them as a standard and non-negotiable item in the employer value proposition.

On the other hand, as the number of freelancers grows, there will be a focus to provide them with the necessary employment law protection.

Does your organization live the Culture you say you want

Corporate culture is a competitive advantage. Your competitors can copy a product, but they cannot replicate your workforce. On the other hand, our values and behavior are a hot topic discussion in Human Resources.

However, it should be a hot topic for the executive leadership team, as well. Culture is comprised of both an organization’s values and the people who bring those values to life.

However, there is a question. Are we fully committed? Do we live the culture we say we have? Do we have an alignment between what we say and what we do?

It is always important to make a step back and analyze our current status. Maybe, we claim that we have a fair pay policy, and we can find out that we have a large number of exceptions. Interestingly, no one can remember why this particular one exception was granted and approved.

In reality, we designed a system that looks perfect on paper, but as a result, we have implemented an unfair pay policy. We do not know about it, but employees feel it.

Culture is not just about values; it is also about employee experience. If employees see and feel a conflict between values and reality, they will never trust HR and the leadership team. We then need to go back to basics and repair what is wrong.

A new website is always about compelling content. As SEO and content gurus say – the content is the king. However, there is a small snag. You always start with a blank piece of paper. You have a great idea, but you have to turn it into a huge and engaging story.

Translating ideas into stories is difficult. You can always choose to procrastinate because the Internet is full of fun. Well, that is the reason I love the Pomodoro technique. It helps me stay focused, and not to be distracted by other fun stuff.

Today, it is so easy to be distracted. It is so difficult to concentrate on one task we need to accomplish. Smartphones, applications, and computers are always sending notifications to grab our attention. Computers are powerful, and they can multitask. Sadly, our brains are not multitasking. They love to focus, and we lose our ability to stay focused.

The Pomodoro Technique: Process

There are tons of books about motivation, personal productivity, time planning and getting things done (GTD). There are many seminars and tutorials on how to become a successful person. They usually present a complex solution to a simple problem. You have to stay focused and keep doing things that will bring you most.

You can install many GTD tools, and you will find out that using the tool consumes your most productive time. You do not work; you plan how you should work. It can be endless, and the inbox in the app can grow long. You will still feel that you are failing, but you will have a detailed plan. The Pomodoro technique is different because it does not make you plan every detail. It just asks you to stay focused.

You do not need to spend time prioritizing, because you usually know which mission will make you a successful person. You know what needs to be done during the day to keep your friends, colleagues, and family happy. Usually, you also know when you have to do it and in which order. The only problem is that you have to concentrate on solving one problem after another.

What is the Pomodoro technique?

It is one of the most straightforward time management techniques you can find. Its simplicity is what it makes it so sturdy and attractive. You do not have to read a book before you can start benefiting from the technique. You do not need to spend hours planning your activities. Productivity and being concentrated on the task are the key imperatives of the approach.

The methodology does not require you to estimate how long it takes to finish one task. You work, and you stay focused for at least 25 minutes. It is a single idea – every minute of your focus counts.

You learn a few basic principles, and you can start gaining control over your time and assignments again. The significant advantage of the technique is that you need just a paper and pen. You do not have to spend a single penny.

This technique uses a timer (usually a simple computer application) to break down the work and assignments into manageable intervals. They typically take about 25 minutes, but you can shorten them in the beginning. Prolonging intervals is not recommended. Each interval is followed by a short break of five minutes to allow you to relax and do the other stuff.

However, it is highly recommended to get up and stretch your body. It makes the blood flow and your brain refreshes. A fresh body is the best support for bringing new ideas.

After several Pomodoro intervals, you should take a more extended break, usually about 30 minutes to refresh your mind and boost creativity.

That is the whole principle of the technique. You do not have to decide if the task is essential, critical, urgent and which inbox is the right. You keep focusing on doing your staff, and you do not allow anyone and anything to distract you. There are moments for distraction during short and long breaks.

How does it help me?

Writing is difficult. You stare at the blank page in Atom (the word processor I use among other tools), and you see the cursor blinking. You look at no words, and you have to elaborate the creative piece of work. You know you have a great idea, but now you want to turn it into a story. That makes writing so difficult.

Dreaming about the story is nice; writing the story requires a focus. Also, it is so painful to put the structure in place, thinking about linking ideas and arguments and finding the right words. At that moment, you can switch your priorities, because you think that checking new Facebook statuses can help to boost creativity.

That is how a failure begins. You stop focusing on what is critical to your success, and you start focusing on what can entertain you. The Pomodoro technique helps me a lot to gain my focus back. I know that I allocated this time interval to writing. I know it is not time to read new articles. Also, it is not time to check Netflix.

You can find a simplified Pomodoro technique in the text several times because it is so powerful when combined with other tools. Right now, I know I have just one interval a day to check all new HR Management articles in my RSS reader. It means I can allocate more time to my productive work and still feel that I know what happens.

Also, do you know that you can usually check Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter within one interval in a day? You have to change the way how you work with your smartphone. It is a tool; it is not your master telling you what you should do. Turn off as many notifications as you can. They are useless.

Also, allocate as many as possible intervals to your friends and family. They are real, and they are worth it.

Another week is over, and it is time for another delivery of my favourite HR articles. I try to build my writing habit, and this is my second blog post with the best HR articles of the last week, that I read.

This time, the selection is a bit more diverse than the last one. However, turnover is back again. When talking with friends from other HR departments, I feel that it is a challenge all HR Professionals face at the moment. The job market is tight right now; it is the employee market, not the employer one.

Best HR Management Articles: 02/2019

This week is about the winning culture, learning organizations and HR Analytics. I see these topics as soft powers that define and underline the success of the HR team in the business. They are not visible, but they influence employees and managers in their decisions.

So, happy reading! The next selection will come on Saturday.

What motivates creative people?

Creativity was never seen as essential for the survival of the organization. However, the view of leaders changes significantly. They start to value creative employees because they innovate and deliver the required change to our lives and businesses. They usually come with the break-through idea that becomes an industry standard.

Creativity has a strategic value to the high-performance organization. The only issue is how to motivate creative employees. They are not like the others; they expect a different experience. Some more money does not work for them. They expect their managers to find better ways how to make them engaged and performing.

The carrot and stick approach does not work, as well. Creative employees are too smart; they always find a way how to fool around the rules. They like to play games; they expect you to play better. Creative employees love challenges; they want to be given the issue nobody else can solve. They want to bring a solution that amazes everyone in the room. They want to stand in front of their families and friends being proud of the strategic answer.

You as a manager have to change the approach towards the dedicated team. It would help if you were not a control freak. It would help if you acted as a team member who contributes to uncovering hidden challenges. The one, who can win the war for resources. The one, which celebrates both successes and failures.

The impact of turnover on employee experience

Again, turnover is among my choice of the best articles I found last week. Today, the environment around us is not employer friendly. We act on the employee market, and we have to fight turnover and protect our top performers and critical talents.

We have to deliver the proactive retention strategy to reduce turnover of critical employee populations. We usually ignore the impact on employees who stay. However, they often see how the organization lose the essential know-how. They are left with the work they have to do because there is no one else, who would do it.

It is similar to losing the best friends. There is always a hole left, and it takes time to fill it again. We build strong connections with other employees.

We feel the loss (and we are sad) when somebody close to us leaves the company. The emotional damage of turnover is hazardous because it is invisible. We can observe the immediate impact on productivity. As HR Managers, we have to act. It is the role of Human Resources (and us) to design tools that help leaders and managers fight with high levels of turnover.

Moreover, we should not blame just the market. We should go at least one layer deeper to identify critical internal root causes. Turnover usually does not happen just because the market is employee friendly. There are some flaws in our company.

8 steps to jumpstarting a truth-telling workplace culture

Ummm, each business values honesty and trust among employees and managers. No company puts on its door that it values lies and silence. Moreover, you want to build confidence among employees.

CEOs and leaders are not seen as credible and trustworthy. That is a dangerous trend, and it is an enormous HR challenge. The winning culture cannot coexist with untrust in the organization. When people do not tell the truth, the business cannot expect to improve, because it will miss the feedback from critical stakeholders.

Truth-telling is also clearly and closely linked with the winning corporate culture. Giving the power to the people is essential. It is a simple claim, but managers and leaders have to empower employees. They have to delegate their responsibilities, and they have to change the way how they behave. It is just the first small step.

The winning organization is always a good citizen. It is not just a CSR cliche; it is about following simple steps how to build a business which takes care of the people in the neighborhood.

It is always good to go through the summary of all obstacles that can stop us from the successful development of the learning culture in the business. Sometimes, we push too much, and we recognize just the successes. However, there is no learning without failures.

Unlocking the mystery of HR Data

HR Analytics is one of the least developed HR areas. We do not utilize the data we collect about employees. We do not drive organizational efficiency, future strategy, and we do not measure business success with various HR performance indicators in mind.

Human Resources is about people in the business. However, we have to develop our analytical skills, competencies, and abilities. Leaders do not decide without any back-up data and analytics. Human Resources can lose a significant investment because it cannot build the business case that proves expected returns.

Human Resources collects data about employees, but it does not connect them with other data available in the business. We do not know the cost of turnover. We do not have a clear view, what is the value of the new hire.

Human Resources has to unlock the potential hidden in HR data; it will help to build a winning organization.

Each project requires the right set of tools that will help you plan, design and develop a new website. You can go cheap, or you can buy or rent costly solutions. In my project management story, I have decided that I will go the cheap way. I will use the tools that I can get for free.

Well, as you can notice, I have a few exceptions in the collection of my project design and delivery tools because I have a paid version of XMind Zen. Also, I am an Office365 subscriber.

However, which tools I have chosen to achieve my project goals?

A Silent Computer and A Big Monitor

Most royalty free photos displaying a freelancer put the Apple hardware in the center. Quite surprisingly, you do not have to buy a new polished Apple computer, iPad and iPhone to start designing and writing your website. You do not need to astonish anyone. You will begin to design the site alone.

There are no doubts that Apple hardware looks robust, reliable and worth the money, but it does not increase the ability to deliver. You can go cheap and lose no productivity. Sure, some applications are macOS only, but you can usually find a great substitute application for Windows or Linux. Also, your competitive advantage remains unchanged if you go for the cheaper hardware.

I am an old fashioned guy. I prefer a desktop computer over the notebook (yes, I have both). In the end, I was looking for a mini PC that is silent and still has the power to run the Internet browser, text editor and Microsoft Excel at once. Finally, I ended up with one of Intel NUCs, and I am delighted.

They are tiny, silent and they are capable of doing my job. Sometimes, it is good to make a reality check if you need the most modern hardware available. Writing texts is not the most demanding and processing power heavy task.

On the other hand, Intel NUCs are not the cheapest mini PCs available on the market. However, compared with the new Apple Mac Mini, they are a bargain. Their chips are powerful, and the integrated graphics card can keep 4k monitor busy easily. I have never seen any significant lagging, and everything is smooth.

Today, you do not have to buy Windows 10 or Apple macOS. With a few limitations, you can run Linux. Some Linux distributions are user-friendly, and they offer a full set of applications for creative writing out of the box. Also, Linux is getting better, and it can be a strong competitor, even on a desktop. Gnome and KDE look both stunning, and for creative writing are both a great option (Gnome is probably even better with its minimalistic approach).

You need a durable Mechanical Keyboard

Do not forget that writing is about your brain, back, and hands. It would be best if you protected them. You should not save money on a good office table, your health supporting chair and there is one more tool you should not save on. You have to buy an expensive mechanical keyboard.

Go for one with the backlighting, because it is a great extra (you will not like any keyboard without it soon). Choose the one where you can program the color.

If you do not want to have programmable colors, definitely do not go for the one that emits just blue light. Choose white, red or green. Never go for the blue backlight. It is not good for your eyes and health.

There is one advice – you should try before you buy. Everyone prefers a different keyboard and physics. Just try to write a few sentences before you pay.

Google Keep

Writing and designing is about taking notes. Most great ideas come at the moment when you do not sit at your computer. They catch you unprepared. You can travel at the moment, or you can be attending a boring meeting. It is essential to take the note because you will forget it before you have a chance to record it.

The traditional notebook works fine. You can invest in a stylish and durable Moleskine notebook and a great pen. Nevertheless, you can use modern technology. For quite a long time I was using Evernote to take notes. However, I got never familiar with the software. The same story was Microsoft OneNote. We were never friends. I was not taking my notes; I was exploring how to record the idea as quickly as possible. I wanted something simple that does not influence my way of thinking.

Finally, Google Keep is my favorite choice. It has a simplistic approach, the user interface cannot be more straightforward, and the app works fine. In my opinion, it delivers its promises. After a short time, I have found my way how to use it.

I have one note at the top where I put my new ideas. I do not sort them till I am free and willing to go deeper in my thinking process. That is my creative moment when I decide what to delete, what to keep and what to elaborate further.

It is not just for taking text notes. You can take photos, take notes, or record audio. Everything works.

As a great plus, it has the application for your smartphone and PC. On the other hand, you can run it in the browser without any limitations. The price? It is free.

Atom is the best word processor

Designing a website is about a lot of writing. The content is the king. It is about putting a structure in place and filling it with the relevant, thrilling and traffic winning text.

MS Word can kill your creativity. Microsoft designed Word as a tool to produce business related stuff. Microsoft Word is not a word processor for long documents. It is the best choice to write and format a business letter, but you should never write a book in MS Word.

For years, the king of creative writing was Sublime Text. It was the software, which just did its job. However, it was also pretty expensive. On the other hand, it was a star when writing the content without being distracted by many hints. It is a pure text processor as it should be. The first step in the writing process was about typing the document. After that, the most critical step took place – editing the document. As the final step in the process, you format the text.

Lately, a new star was born, and it is free. It is called Atom. It has everything what Sublime Text has. It is supported by a large and active community of contributors. You can enhance the functionality with tons of plugins.

Well, it can seem as a programmer´s editor, but it is great for writing long texts, as well. It has excellent Markdown support out of the box (if you do not know Markdown, you have to learn it). It can export the document as HTML to copy-paste it into WordPress directly.

There are tons of themes to personalize your experience. You prefer a dark scheme? Fine. Do you want a light one? Fine. Do you want different fonts? Easy.

There should be no discussion when choosing your new text editor for website development. It should be Atom word processor with several plugins to improve your overall creative writing experience.

XMind and Pomodoro Focus

Designing a new website or changing the existing one is also about the site structure. There are many different tools, but I have found XMind Zen as the most useful one. Surprisingly, it is not its original aim and purpose. It is a mind mapping tool.

Also, it not free when you want some additional features, but it also offers a free version with some restrictions. In my opinion, it is the best software to create mindmaps and structures. It helps you to simplify your difficult idea into easy to understand steps.

It allows you to think through the structure of the new website. It will enable you to guess and confirm how you should connect different topics. It helps you to discover interdependencies and track your key messages.

Pomodoro is a simplistic approach to “Get Things Done” (aka GTD). I was never a fan of the full GTD methodology. It was killing my creative thinking because I was not able to sort them into right boxes immediately.

However, Pomodoro works for me. I use a simple Focus application for Windows 10, that measures and cuts my Pomodoro slices. Again, it has no additional project management features, but this is exactly what I like about the application. It is straightforward, and it does what it promises to do.

MS Excel and MS PowerPoint

Maybe you are surprised why I have Microsoft Office on my list of tools? Honestly, I was trying to switch to LibreOffice several times in the past. Though, I always failed.

There are things in MS Excel you cannot do in LibreOffice. When thinking and solving the complex issue, I have always found contingency tables helpful. You can produce them in MS Excel efficiently. On the other hand, it was never such a straightforward task in LibreOffice. However, I use just MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.

I use MS Office to draw pictures for the website. You and then you fill the page with the relevant content supporting your text. I know MS PowerPoint is not the best drawing tool, but I can draw images quickly, and they do not look bad.

Microsoft Excel is an excellent tool for website traffic analytics. There are moments in the keyword research when the contingency table is your best friend. With MS Excel you will save much time. Also, there is no better tool to draw graphs quickly.

As we say – one picture is worth a thousand words.

Ubuntu Server as a great productivity tool

Sooner or later you will find out that you need to store your data somewhere that you can easily access them from anywhere. You need to detach the data from your desktop.

You will probably look for a simple Cloud solution you can upload and synchronize your data. Also, it is a way how to back up your most valuable content.

There are many paid solutions available, but maybe you could consider using the old computer you have at home. By installing Ubuntu Server, you can boost your productivity and decrease your running costs.

I have a small home server for years. It was mainly a backup machine for photos, movies, and music.

Now I use it as my cloud solution, personal RSS reader and I also run some small analytics solution on it. Everything accessible from anywhere on Earth. I use NextCloud and TinyTinyRSS. Both are great productivity tools.

As an additional benefit, I know where my data are and who is the person responsible when I lose anything. It is just me.